This is a delicious post!
My recent release, Snowfall at Catoctin Creek, features amateur chef and professional restaurant manager Nikki Mercer. By day, she’s overseeing the serving of traditional diner dishes at the Blue Plate, where she’s been working since she took over from her aunt. The Blue Plate Diner is a venerable country cookin’ establishment, with tried-and-true recipes like fried chicken and meatloaf. The whole town loves the Blue Plate, but Nikki’s culinary aspirations run a little higher…
Nikki whips up a few delicious recipes throughout the course of the book, many of them for Thanksgiving dinner at Notch Gap Farm. When I originally envisioned the book, I planned to include recipes in the back copy. But time got away from me and, it must be admitted, they’re not my recipes!
There is no copyright on recipes, which makes the world of cookbooks and cooking blogs a wild, wooly one I don’t care to enter at this time. Instead, let me link you to the recipes which I used for inspiration as I wrote Snowfall at Catoctin Creek.
Sweet Potato Cinnamon Pecan Casserole
Nikki makes this casserole to replace the usual mini-marshmallow sweet potato casserole at Thanksgiving dinner. I took the idea from Cooking Classy. I meant to make it at Thanksgiving this year, but I didn’t have time to cook, so maybe next time!
Whiskey Glazed Carrots
I called these honey bourbon carrots in the book, but I was working off memory. When I looked up the actual recipe I used, I found they’re called Whiskey-Glazed Carrots. These carrots are absolutely delicious. I made these for Thanksgiving one year when I lived in Brooklyn, and when I poured in the bourbon, a purple flame shot up and I thought I was going to burn my entire building down. Find them at the Pioneer Woman site, and they’re also in her holiday cookbook.
Orange-Glazed Brussels Sprouts with Butternut Squash
File this one under recipes I’ve never made but wow, they sound so good! I was just looking for a twist on sprouts, and when I found this one I knew it was perfect. Get Heartbeet Kitchen’s recipe for Orange-Glazed Brussel Sprouts and Butternut Squash here.
Gruyere and Caramelized Onion Mashed Potatoes
Like the sprouts, this is a wish-list recipe. I just looked up interesting mashed potato variations until I found this one. It’s from Happy Veggie Kitchen.
All of these recipes would be amazing for additions to a family celebration or a holiday dinner. If you try any, comment and let me know how it went!
And if you haven’t yet read Snowfall at Catoctin Creek, give it a look! You can read the first chapters right here, or get the book from Amazon.